Luke [1:39-56] Mary Visits Elizabeth, Mary’s Song of Praise Holy Gospel of Jesus Christ according to Saint Luke 1,39-56. Mary set out in those days and traveled to the hill country in haste to a town …More
Luke [1:39-56] Mary Visits Elizabeth, Mary’s Song of Praise
Holy Gospel of Jesus Christ according to Saint Luke 1,39-56.
Mary set out in those days and traveled to the hill country in haste to a town of Judah,
where she entered the house of Zechariah and greeted Elizabeth.
When Elizabeth heard Mary's greeting, the infant leaped in her womb, and Elizabeth, filled with the holy Spirit,
cried out in a loud voice and said, "Most blessed are you among women, and blessed is the fruit of your womb.
And how does this happen to me, that the mother of my Lord should come to me?
For at the moment the sound of your greeting reached my ears, the infant in my womb leaped for joy.
Blessed are you who believed that what was spoken to you by the Lord would be fulfilled."
And Mary said: "My soul proclaims the greatness of the Lord;
my spirit rejoices in God my savior.
For he has looked with favor on his lowly servant;
from this day all generations will call me blessed.
The Almighty has done great things for me,
and holy is his name.
He has mercy on those who fear him
in every generation.
He has shown might with his arm, dispersed the arrogant of mind and heart.
He has thrown down the rulers from their thrones but lifted up the lowly.
He has filled the hungry with good things;
and the rich he has sent away empty.
He has come to the help of his servant Israel ,
remembering his promise of mercy,
The promise he made to our fathers,
to Abraham and to his descendants forever."
Mary remained with her about three months and then returned to her home.
Copyright © Confraternity of Christian Doctrine, USCCB
Latin Liturgy
Sequence from the XIVth – XVth centuries
"My spirit rejoices in God my savior"
O Virgin ! Temple of the Trinity ! the God of all goodness and mercy (...) is declared to have been born of you. The message is brought you by the angel who hails you full of grace, (...) and you are told. You consent and the King of glory instantly becomes incarnate in your womb. By this joy, we pray, make us pleasing to this great King. (...) Your second Joy is that you, the Star, give birth to the Sun (...). This birth causes neither alteration nor pain in you; you remain a Virgin as before. As a flower loses not its beauty by sending forth its fragrance; so neither do you lose the bloom of virginity by giving birth to your Creator. O Mary, gracious Mother ! be for us the way that leads to your Son. (...) A star tells you of your third Joy. You see a star resting over your Child, the Magi adoring Him, and offering their varied gifts (...). O Mary, the world's Star !, pray for us, that we may be cleansed from our sins. (...) The fourth Joy, O holy Virgin! was given to you when Jesus rose from the tomb (...): hope was restored, and death was put to flight. And you, O full of grace (Lk 1:28), had your share in effecting these wonders. The enemy is conquered (...); we, who had been made captive, are set free and raised up from earth to heaven. O Mother of our Creator ! pray for us earnestly, that by this Paschal Joy we may be joined with the heavenly choirs after this life's labors are over. You received your fifth Joy, O Mary !, when you were present at your Son's Ascension into heaven. Then you clearly saw that He, whose Mother you were, was your Creator. His Ascension shows us the path whereby we are to ascend to heaven (...). We beseech you, by this Joy, may we also ascend to heaven, where, with you together with your Son, we may rejoice for all eternity (...). The sixth Joy was when the Holy Paraclete descended from heaven in the form of fiery tongues, strengthening (...) and inflaming the apostles to heal those those whose tongues had brought them to perdition and to purify their souls from sin. By this holy Joy, intercede for us we pray, O Virgin!, to your Son, that he may pardon us the stain of our sins lest there be found guilt upon us at the great judgment. Jesus invited you to the seventh Joy when he called you out of this world to heaven, placed you on your throne, and honored you with special favours. The honor given to you is such as none of the blessed in heaven enjoy (...). O Virgin Mother of Mercy ! may we feel the proofs of your loving intercession (...). By this Joy, pray that we may be purified from our sins; and, being made fruitful in good works, take us with you, O fruitful Mother, into the blissful joys of heaven. Amen.
Holy Gospel of Jesus Christ according to Saint Luke 1,39-56.
Mary set out in those days and traveled to the hill country in haste to a town of Judah,
where she entered the house of Zechariah and greeted Elizabeth.
When Elizabeth heard Mary's greeting, the infant leaped in her womb, and Elizabeth, filled with the holy Spirit,
cried out in a loud voice and said, "Most blessed are you among women, and blessed is the fruit of your womb.
And how does this happen to me, that the mother of my Lord should come to me?
For at the moment the sound of your greeting reached my ears, the infant in my womb leaped for joy.
Blessed are you who believed that what was spoken to you by the Lord would be fulfilled."
And Mary said: "My soul proclaims the greatness of the Lord;
my spirit rejoices in God my savior.
For he has looked with favor on his lowly servant;
from this day all generations will call me blessed.
The Almighty has done great things for me,
and holy is his name.
He has mercy on those who fear him
in every generation.
He has shown might with his arm, dispersed the arrogant of mind and heart.
He has thrown down the rulers from their thrones but lifted up the lowly.
He has filled the hungry with good things;
and the rich he has sent away empty.
He has come to the help of his servant Israel ,
remembering his promise of mercy,
The promise he made to our fathers,
to Abraham and to his descendants forever."
Mary remained with her about three months and then returned to her home.
Copyright © Confraternity of Christian Doctrine, USCCB
Latin Liturgy
Sequence from the XIVth – XVth centuries
"My spirit rejoices in God my savior"
O Virgin ! Temple of the Trinity ! the God of all goodness and mercy (...) is declared to have been born of you. The message is brought you by the angel who hails you full of grace, (...) and you are told. You consent and the King of glory instantly becomes incarnate in your womb. By this joy, we pray, make us pleasing to this great King. (...) Your second Joy is that you, the Star, give birth to the Sun (...). This birth causes neither alteration nor pain in you; you remain a Virgin as before. As a flower loses not its beauty by sending forth its fragrance; so neither do you lose the bloom of virginity by giving birth to your Creator. O Mary, gracious Mother ! be for us the way that leads to your Son. (...) A star tells you of your third Joy. You see a star resting over your Child, the Magi adoring Him, and offering their varied gifts (...). O Mary, the world's Star !, pray for us, that we may be cleansed from our sins. (...) The fourth Joy, O holy Virgin! was given to you when Jesus rose from the tomb (...): hope was restored, and death was put to flight. And you, O full of grace (Lk 1:28), had your share in effecting these wonders. The enemy is conquered (...); we, who had been made captive, are set free and raised up from earth to heaven. O Mother of our Creator ! pray for us earnestly, that by this Paschal Joy we may be joined with the heavenly choirs after this life's labors are over. You received your fifth Joy, O Mary !, when you were present at your Son's Ascension into heaven. Then you clearly saw that He, whose Mother you were, was your Creator. His Ascension shows us the path whereby we are to ascend to heaven (...). We beseech you, by this Joy, may we also ascend to heaven, where, with you together with your Son, we may rejoice for all eternity (...). The sixth Joy was when the Holy Paraclete descended from heaven in the form of fiery tongues, strengthening (...) and inflaming the apostles to heal those those whose tongues had brought them to perdition and to purify their souls from sin. By this holy Joy, intercede for us we pray, O Virgin!, to your Son, that he may pardon us the stain of our sins lest there be found guilt upon us at the great judgment. Jesus invited you to the seventh Joy when he called you out of this world to heaven, placed you on your throne, and honored you with special favours. The honor given to you is such as none of the blessed in heaven enjoy (...). O Virgin Mother of Mercy ! may we feel the proofs of your loving intercession (...). By this Joy, pray that we may be purified from our sins; and, being made fruitful in good works, take us with you, O fruitful Mother, into the blissful joys of heaven. Amen.